SINGAPORE — From June 29, when all students will return to school daily, small group discussions of up to five students each will be allowed, while groups of up to five from the same class can sit together at mealtimes. 

Physical education classes that involve group activities will be allowed, with a limit of five per group and safe management measures in place. Small-sided games such as badminton and table tennis will also be allowed. 

These were among the guidelines set out by the Ministry of Education (MOE) on Wednesday (June 17), ahead of the return of all students to school campuses islandwide, which comes as Singapore transits into Phase Two of its reopening on Friday. 

Since schools reopened on June 2, students have been on a weekly rotation schedule, with some levels of students coming to school for the week, while others are on home-based learning.

“MOE has planned for two cycles of weekly rotations, which will end on June 26,” it said. 

Meanwhile, the MOE said institutes of higher learning will progressively increase the number of students allowed back on campus at any one time for face-to-face learning, while still maintaining a significant amount of online learning. 

Besides allowing students to gather in small groups in class and at mealtimes, other safe management measures in Phase One will continue to be implemented. These include: 

• Staggered arrival and dismissal times 

• Fixed exam-style seating in class and spaced seating arrangements in canteens

• The wearing of masks. Where masks may not be practical due to health conditions, for instance, students may wear face shields. 

• Daily temperature-taking and visual screening for all students and staff. Students who are unwell, or who have household members on home quarantine order or stay home notice, or have adult household members with flu-like symptoms such as fever and cough, will be required to stay away from school. 

• Frequent cleaning of high-touch surfaces and daily disinfection of school premises. Students will practise frequent handwashing throughout the day and wipe down tables and shared equipment after use. 

• Reduced intermingling between classes and levels 

Decisions as to which activities can resume during PE classes will be made in line with Sport Singapore’s advisory on the resumption of physical activities in Phase Two, the MOE added. 

As for Co-Curricular Activities (CCAs), schools will first try to restart those that can be conducted by coaches through digital means, such as for badminton, dance and robotics. 

For CCAs that are more suited to be conducted face-to-face, schools can implement them at a class level to minimise interminging, MOE said. 

“This means that students may not be participating in an activity that is their original CCA choice, but they will get to learn something new... MOE intends to gradually bring back CCA activities, which are essential elements of school experiences.”

MOE centre-based lessons will also resume for non-graduating levels from June 29. This is in line with students from all levels returning to school, and will be done with safe management measures in place. 

INSTITUTES OF HIGHER LEARNING 

Institutes of higher learning will increase the number of students allowed back on campus for in-person learning, such as in practical and lab sessions, with no more than 50 students per class. 

Other classes or consultations that were previously conducted online can now gradually resume on campus with no more than 50 students per class. 

Selected student activities, such as project work discussions, fitness training and face-to-face counselling, may gradually resume with safe management measures in place. These include ensuring a distance of at least 1m between individuals and having no more than 50 people at a venue.

All large-scale lectures will continue to be held online, MOE added. 

Orientation activities will not be allowed for the time being. However, some smaller-scale activities such as briefings, campus tours and non-contact ice-breaker activities can proceed with safe management measures in place. 

Institutes of higher learning will also continue safe management measures that are already in place, such as using SafeEntry to check in and out of campus, requiring students and staff to wear masks at all times, and having fixed seating and safe distancing at teaching venues. 

PRIVATE EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS, SELF-HELP GROUP ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES AND TUITION 

Private education institutes can allow all their students to return in Phase Two. This will be subject to them meeting the national safe management guidelines for Phase Two. 

The Committee for Private Education under SkillsFuture Singapore will provide more details to the private education institutes, MOE said. 

Self-help group enrichment activities, private tuition and enrichment centres may also resume activities from June 19, with safe management measures in place. 

“Students will need to maintain safe distancing of at least 1m from others and refrain from interacting,” MOE said. 

“If some interaction is unavoidable, they must remain within groups no larger than five, with each group maintaining a distance of at least 1m —preferably 2m — from other groups, with no mixing between groups.”

Teachers may move between groups, but must keep contact to a minimum, and remain at the front of the class as much as possible. 

Details of the mandatory safe management measures will be available from Wednesday on the GoBusiness website.